Their little girl is growing up
by GSR4ever87
Summary: Horatio is about to realize that Christy is not a little girl anymore when she asks him something. What does she ask him? What will he say? Please read and find out. A little A/U. Tenth story in A Different beginning Series. Two-Shot.
1. Permission

Disclaimer: Don't own the main characters

Summary: Horatio is about to realize that Christy is not a little girl anymore when she asks him something. What does she ask him? What will he say? Please read and find out. A little A/U. Tenth story in A Different beginning Series. Two-Shot.

Title: Their little girl is growing up  
Genre: Family, Romance  
Rating: K+  
Spoilers: None  
Time-line: 2 years after never stopped  
Warnings: None  
Main Parings: Ducaine  
Minor Parings: Christy/OC, C.J./Brenda (Mention only)  
Other Characters: Josh Caine, Sarah-Elizabeth Caine  
Series Order: A Different Beginning, A life changing moment, First day of school, A Change of heart?, A new baby in the family, Leaving Miami, One chapter ends, another begins, Trouble in Paradise?, Never Stopped, Their little girl is growing up

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Their little girl is growing up

Chapter 1: Permission

Horatio's fork hits his dinner plate first before the others followed soon after as Horatio looked at his 14-year-old daughter wide-eyed before clearing his throat. "Excuse me, what did you just ask me?"

Christy looks at her dad, confused on why she got such a strange reaction from him about her question, then she cleared her throat and replied. "Jeez dad, It wasn't like I just asked if you could give me tips on how to get away with murder, all I asked was, can I go out with a boy from school on Saturday?"

Before he answered, he looked at his two youngest children. "Josh, Sarah-Elizabeth, please go to your room."

12-year old Josh and 9-year old Sarah-Elizabeth both nodded before getting off their chairs and leaving the kitchen to go to their rooms.

Horatio looked at Christy again, and she shook her head while sighing. "I don't see what the big deal is, I've been hanging out with boys outside of school since I was twelve."

Horatio nodded his head and replied. "Yeah in a group, is your outing this Saturday a group thing?"

She could have lied just to get her dad to stop acting like it was a crazy idea, which her teenager senses was telling her to, but she knew she would never get away with it, especially with these two as parents, so she shook her head and replied. "Well no, there was no mention of other people."

He shook his head. "Then I don't think so, honey, not this weekend."

As Horatio picked up his fork, she shook her head, clearly upset at his answer, then she dropped her fork on her plate and looked at her dad. "Then when?  
2 months from now, 2 years from now. How come when it came to C.J., you gave him your blessing and practically opened the door for him, but with me you say no?, and don't say it's because I'm a girl, your little girl." She pulls the chair away from the table so she could get up while she finished. "Well guess what, I'm not your little girl anymore!" Before running out of the room.

Calleigh and Horatio looked at their daughter's empty spot before looking at each other, then he sighed as he shook his head. "A date? When did this happen? She's only..."

Calleigh cuts him off. "She's fourteen Horatio, I was thirteen when I had my first." He sighed again as he looked down at his food while Calleigh gets up from her spot at the table, which was across from him, then she sat down next to him and places her hand on top of his. "And she's right, C.J.'s first date with Brenda was at fourteen."

He smiled a little as he looked into her green eyes. "It was, wasn't it? It just seemed like they've been together so long that it's hard to remember what age they started." Calleigh nodded as Horatio continued after squeezing her hand. "And the only way I can be fair about this, is if I allow her to go."

Calleigh looked at her husband with sympathy, knowing how hard it was to see his daughter get to this stage in her life, then she cupped his cheek and speaks again. "You knew this was going to eventually happen."

"Yeah, just not this fast."

She gives him a little smile again and replied. "Well the good thing is, it's only one date. It's not like she's marrying the boy."

He raised an eyebrow and asked. "Funny you should say that, who was C.J.'s first date again?"

Calleigh chuckled a little and shot back. "Well like rules, there are exceptions." He nodded his head in agreement.

They continue to look at each other, then he sighed for the umpteenth time and squeezed her hand again as she removed her other one from his cheek before he gets up from his seat. He then leans down and kisses his wife on the cheek. "Thank you, you are always the voice of reasoning around here."

She smiled and replied. "I think I have to be, or else there would be chaos."

He chuckled a little, then after they share another small smile, he walked out of the kitchen to head upstairs to talk to his oldest daughter.

When he got to the first bedroom on the left, he knocked on the door and heard Christy ask. "Who is it?"

"Your dad, can I please talk to you?"

A seconds pause, she replied. "Ok."

After Horatio puts his hand on the doorknob he opens it before stepping in the doorway of her room, which her room alone could have told him that his little girl was growing up because in place of her Disney princess posters hanging on the wall, her small bed, and her bookshelf filled with children's book, there were posters of singers and actors/actress that she Idolized, her bed was bigger and her bookshelf was filled with more of a teen selection.

His thoughts get interrupted when she speaks from her desk to the left of him. "I drive in two years, you going to push that back too?"

Horatio sighed as he looked in her direction. "Christy please, you don't know how hard this is for me."

She looks at him with confusion and asked. "What is?"

Horatio walks into his daughter's room and sits at the end of her bed as she turned her chair around so she could look at her father while he spoke. "Seeing your children, especially your daughter, get to this stage of their lives. You start to realize they are one step closer to leaving and going out into the world, I'm just not quite ready to let you go yet."

Christy couldn't help but chuckle a little, and before her father got the wrong idea, thinking she was dismissing how he felt, she explained. "It isn't like I'm leaving anytime soon, it is one date for a few hours."

He gave her a little smile and replied. "Yeah, but one date can lead to many more, and before you know it, I'm walking you down the aisle. Which don't get me wrong, it is a dream of any father to walk their daughter's down the aisle, it just seems to be getting their faster than I'm prepared for."

Christy sighed as she gets up from her chair, then she sits down next to him on the bed, placed her hand on top of his and looked into his blue eyes before speaking. "I don't know how you're feeling because I obviously don't have kids, so I can't say I understand. All I know is that I'm getting older and I got asked out on a date, isn't that a good thing?"

As he looked into the eyes of his daughter that reminded him of so much of Calleigh, he nodded and replied. "It is, honey."

She smiled a little before replying. "Then how about we take this next stage of our lives one step at a time, and I'll try not to go too fast, deal?"

He couldn't help but chuckle, which Christy looked at him with confusion before he explained while cupping her cheek with his free hand. "You are definitely your mother's daughter."

"Is that a good thing, or should I be worried?"

He shook his head as he leant forward and kissed her on the forehead before pulling back and replying. "It is a wonderful thing, and a major part on why I love you so much."

After a moment's pause, she asked. "So do we have a deal?"

She was going to get older and want to go on dates whether he was ready for it or not, so he didn't really have a choice, but making this new transition for the both of them go smoothly as possible sounded good to him.

With that in mind, he nodded and replied. "We have a deal." She smiled, then he continued. "And you can go on your date, as long as he comes in the house and meets us first, that is my compromise."

She smiled bigger and gives her father a hug while saying. "Thank you, dad."

He brings his arms around his daughter and replied. "You're welcome." When they pulled back, he cups her cheek again and continued. "And you were wrong down at the kitchen table." He smiled while she looked at him with confusion again. "I don't care if you are over 50 years old, you'll always be my little girl."

Her eyes started misting up. "I love you dad, and I'm sorry about that."

He wiped her tears away before answering. "I love you too, and I didn't expect to go through the teen years with my children without one of them yelling at me, but let's not make it a regular occurrence, ok?" He never liked fighting with his children.

She nodded. "I'll try."

"Fair enough."

After one more kiss on her forehead, he released his daughter and gets up from the bed before walking out of her room, closing the door behind him, while Christy was smiling as she ran to her desk so she could call a few friends and tell them the good news.

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AN: Since this is only a two-shot next chapter is the last one for the story. Please review.


	2. A Nice Date

AN: Thank you for the support, here is the last chapter, enjoy.

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Chapter 2: A Nice Date

5 days later

When that special night finally got there, one of the most popular boys in the freshman class went to the Caine house to pick up Christy, and like Horatio's condition on him taking his daughter out, he came into the house and met the family, which he was very polite to everybody before walking out of the house with her.

Once his mother dropped them off at the movie theatre, he paid for the tickets to the movie they were going to see, then after getting some snacks, they went to their movie. After they sat down, they talked a little until the movie started, and when the movie was over, they walked out of the theatre, where they met his mother outside, then she drove them back to Christy's house.

After the vehicle stopped in front of the Caine house, Christy and her date opened their doors, and while she was getting out, she said. "Thank you, Mrs. Stevenson."

"You're welcome, sweetie."

Christy smiled as she got out, then after closing her door, and like the gentleman he's been the whole night, he walked Christy up to her front door.

After they stopped, she looked into the hazel eyes of her date and said. "Thank you, I had a wonderful time tonight."

He smiled and replied. "You're welcome, maybe we can do this again sometime."

"Yeah, I would really like that."

"Cool." He looked a little nervous as he looked out in the yard, then he looked at Christy again and cleared his throat. "I guess I'll see you at school Monday."

"Ok, have a good night."

"You too."

She turned to her door as he turned to walk away, but before he took a step, he turned back around to look at her. "Christy?"

She turned back around and answered. "Yeah, Brian?"

He stepped up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek, and when he pulled back they were both smiling as their cheeks were turning a little red, he then cleared his throat again before saying. "Goodnight again."

Christy smiled. "You too."

When he turned around he walked away this time while Christy opened the front door and stepped in the house before shutting the door behind her.  
She did a sigh of relief when she noticed her parents weren't in the living room, but knew they had been there recently since the TV was still on, then she started walking up to the stairs to her room.

She had been her room the last 10 minutes when there was a knock on the door, and after she sets her sleeping clothes on her bed, she looked at the door and said. "Come in."

The door opened and Calleigh smiled at her daughter from the doorway. "So, how did it go?"

She raised an eyebrow and asked. "Did you tell your mom about your first date?"

Calleigh shook her head and replied. "Good point, I was just making sure everything went ok."

"It did, mom." Christy smiled a little bigger as she continued. "He was a complete gentleman."

Calleigh smiled. "That is very good to hear." She cleared her throat and finished. "So your brother and sister are going to watch a movie with your father and I before bedtime, if you want to come downstairs."

Christy shook her head and replied. "Nah, I think I'll pass tonight."

"Alright."

As Calleigh was stepping back in the hall, Christy speaks again. "Mom?" Calleigh stepped in her doorway again as she continued. "How do you know when he's the 'one'?"

Calleigh thought it would be best to have this discussion in private, so she walked into the room and closed the door before walking up to her daughter's bed and sitting down, then she looked at her daughter. "Well, I knew your father was the one the first moment I looked at him, and it became really clear to me once we started to get to know each other better."

Christy sighed as she looked down. "Oh."

"What's wrong?"

Christy sighed and looked at her mother again. "I don't know if I feel that Brian is the one, I mean we had a good date and we got to know each other a little, I also wouldn't mind doing it again, but nice is all I thought, shouldn't it feel more than just nice?"

Calliegh smiled as she took her daughter's hand. "More often times than not, your 'one' won't be your first date, or first boyfriend for that matter, you are just fourteen years old and you'll have plenty of time to find your 'one.'"

She paused before asking. "But what about Brenda and C.J.? They found each other at fourteen, younger than that if you count when they first saw one another."

Calleigh smiled with a nod. "That is true, and it's very rare, but that doesn't mean it won't be as special or meaningful if you don't find him until you're older, just being with the person you fall in love with should be special enough for you at any age you find them."

She nodded in understanding. "Just like you and dad?"

Calleigh smiled and nodded again. "Exactly, and I know eventually your 'one' will come, maybe when you least expect it, again like it happened to me."

She paused again for a seconds before asking something else. "Ok, but that doesn't mean I have to bypass every opportunity when I don't feel that something special right away, right?"

Calleigh got off the bed, walked to her daughter, cups her cheek and replied while looking into her green eyes. "No you don't, sometimes it does take more than a first look to know if he really is the one for you, so doing one date and done is probably not the best way to go about it, unless you really didn't have a good time and the chemistry wasn't there." Christy nodded as her mother finished. "Now that you are getting older, your emotions will be all over the place on any guy that you meet, it could be really strong or very week, and I don't doubt you'll even feel some type of deep caring or love for some of them, just make sure you use your good sense and judgment, you understand?"

Christy thinks about it, then she nodded and replied with a smile. "That it's ok to give a relationship a try if I want to see if there could be more to it and don't move too far too fast until I'm sure I'm ready for it, which I assure you and dad that it won't happen for a long time."

Calleigh was very proud of her daughter as she replied with a smile of her own. "When did you get to become so smart and grown-up?"

Christy shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." Then she smirked. "I guess right under your noses."

Calleigh chuckled while she brings her daughter in her arms. "Alright you." As she ran her hand up and down her daughter's back she asked. "So everything, ok?"

"Yeah, thanks for the talk."

After mother and daughter pull back from one another, she cupped her cheek and replied. "You can always come to me or your father, no matter what, and just remember we love you very much."

Christy smiled with another nod. "I do, and I love you guys too."

"Alright, I'll let you enjoy the rest of your night."

After kissing her daughter on her forehead, Calleigh walked toward the bedroom door, then before walking out, they smiled at each other.

When Calleigh had stepped down on the last step of the stairs so she was now in the living room, she walked to the couch, and as she sat down, Horatio turned from the DVD play to look at her. "So, how did it go?"

Calleigh smiled and replied. "Well, all I can tell you is that as of right now, I don't think you have worry about losing your daughter to Brian, but..."

Horatio cuts her off with a sigh before finishing her sentence as he walked to the couch. "But, she's a teenager and feelings could change, and if not to Brian, then to somebody else."

After he sat down, she wrapped an arm around her shoulders, kissed his temple and said. "Sorry, handsome, your little girl is growing up and there is no going back."

He looked at her and smiled a little. "Least I can hold on to Sarah-Elizabeth for a few more years."

While she smiled and cupped his cheek so she could run her thumb up and down it, Sarah-Elizabeth and Josh came down the stairs, and as they were walking toward the couch, Horatio reached out his arms for his youngest and said. "You hear that, Sarah-Elizabeth?"

Horatio picks her up and sets her in his lap as she asked. "What daddy?"

He smiled and replied. "I get to hold on to you for a few more years."

Sarah-Elizabeth's blue eyes were bright as she replied. "Always daddy." Then after kissing his cheek, she turned in his arms so her back was against his chest, and after wrapping an arm around her small waist, he picked up the remote.

Before he pushed the button to start the movie though, another voice came into the living room. "Got room for one more? I changed my mind."

The family on the couch looked to their left and Horatio smiled again. "Always honey."

Christy smiled, and after turning the living room light out, she walked to the couch and took the empty spot on the other side of her father, and after Horatio started the movie, he sets the remote down on his left thigh before placing his free arm around Christy's shoulders and bringing her closer to him.

After she laid her head against his shoulder, he kissed the top of her head before looking at his wife, and they were both beaming before turning their heads toward the TV, their oldest daughter maybe at the dating stage now, but least for a few hours, they can feel like they have their little girl back.

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AN: Hope you liked it. Another story will be posted by the end of the week, which you'll finally find out if C.J. is Chris's father. Hope you want it. Please Review.


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